Page 10 of Her Senator's Second Chance

“I didn’t want to burden you. Grief isn’t fun. We were young and in high school. We were supposed to be getting shakes and burgers and laughing. I didn’t want to ruin everyone else’s lives like mine had been ruined.”

Adam stepped closer to her. “Telling me you were hurting because you missed your dad wouldn’t have ruined anything. I would have been there for you.”

Natasha sighed. “It’s in the past. I’ve had years of therapy since then. I’ve learned that it’s healthy to talk about my feelings, which is why I’m even okay with sharing this much with you.”

“I appreciate you trusting me enough with your feelings to be so honest. I know that couldn't have been easy for you.”

Natasha looked up into his face. She was only inches away from him. He could smell the floral scent of her perfume, and it made him want to pull her close to him so he could bury his face in her hair and breathe in her smell like he’d done so many times when they’d been together.

“You’re right,” she said. “I should have confided in you all those years ago about how much I was hurting from losing my dad. You’re an excellent listener.”

Her eyes locked on his, and they stood like that for a moment as time stopped. Her eyes were luminous in the pantry light and he was close enough to smell her perfume. Her long blonde waves looked soft, and he longed to run his hands through it.

She bit her bottom lip, drawing his eyes to her mouth. He had the sudden urge to kiss her, and he probably would have if he hadn’t been engaged to Darla.

Being this close to Natasha again was intoxicating. The memories of their time together flooded into his mind. Days filled with an overabundance of happiness and laughter. Pure joy like he hadn’t known since. Would he ever get that back? He ached for it more than he had since the last moment he’d set eyes on Natasha all those years ago at their high school graduation.

He’d kept hoping she would change her mind about ending their relationship. But nothing he had said would persuade her to get back together with him. He’d watched her getting into her car after the ceremony, and he now realized that she’d taken a piece of his heart that he’d never gotten back. It would be so easy to put it back into place. Like finding the missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle that had been sitting out on the table for the last ten years and snapping it into the hole. He hadn’t fully realized that hole still existed until now. Unless he had Natasha, it would always exist, taunting him with what might have been.

He needed to step away before he made a choice he’d regret later. He’d promised to marry Darla, to love and cherish her. He didn’t take that vow lightly. He turned from Natasha and stabbed another peach from the can. He ate in silence for a few minutes, and the air hung thick between them.

When he finally looked up from his empty can, he saw Natasha gazing off into the corner of the pantry, like she wasn’t really seeing anything in front of her. Like she was a lifetime away.

He suddenly felt tired. How was he supposed to sleep in here, anyway? Surely Jenny would let them out before it got too late. They had to get on the road the next day. He couldn’t stay up all night, locked up in this ridiculous pantry.

“How long do you think Jenny will take to come back down?”

“I don’t know, but I hope it’s soon. This isn’t exactly my most comfortable outfit.” She looked down at her tight skirt. While it looked amazing on her, Adam imagined she was ready to change into a pair of sweats.

He tugged on his tie, loosening it enough to pull over his head. He placed it on the counter and unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt. He’d meant to change once he’d gotten home, but as soon as he’d taken his jacket off, he realized he’d forgotten his cell phone at the mansion. In a panic, he’d rushed straight over.

“Do you think she planned this?” Adam asked.

“How could she? It wasn’t like she knew we’d end up in the pantry together or even that it locked,” Natasha pointed out. After a moment of silence, she asked, “Is it true, what Jenny said?”

“About what?”

“That you don’t love your fiancée.”

Adam hesitated. He wasn’t sure he knew how to talk to Natasha about Darla. “Darla and I have a complex relationship.” He knew he was being vague, but maybe that was the point. It wasn’t a subject he enjoyed bringing up with anyone, not even himself. He had an understanding with Darla. They were a team. Sure, she could be distant, but she was an excellent asset to his campaign.

“Your sister was right. You shouldn’t marry her.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because you deserve better than a complex relationship. You deserve something beautiful and strong. A straightforward relationship where you don’t have to hesitate or stop to think how you will explain and make excuses for your relationship. You should answer immediately with no doubt in your mind that you are head over heels in love with your soulmate.”

Adam knew she was right, but he didn’t want to admit it to her, and he didn’t want to admit it to himself. Because then he’d have to change something. And what about his campaign? If he broke things off with Darla, he’d have to face some consequences he wasn’t sure he was willing to face.

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